How to create a cloud database for rekordbox (beta)

Pulse

May 06, 2019 07:50

This guide is a walk-through on creating a shared cloud database for rekordbox. These instructions are not officially Pioneer DJ approved or sanctioned. I (Pulse) have devised and tested this method to allow users more flexibility in their rekordbox usage. As this is an unapproved modification of the rekordbox configuration, please be advised that neither I, nor Pioneer DJ, or any of its employees, assume any risk or lability for damage or loss to your database, music, software, etc. By following this guide, you agree to these terms.

Before you start, make a backup of your database. Go do it now. I'll wait. If you need instructions on how to make a backup from within rekordbox, you won’t have the know-how to follow the rest of this guide, so stop now, close the browser, and go mix some tunes. It's not worth the support I'll have to provide later, mopping up your database.

The instructions here are if you are using a cloud sharing system that places a synchronized folder within your operating system, such as Dropbox or Google Drive. If you want to use a network share or NAS, I’ll assume that you’re tech-savvy enough to alter the instructions to suit your situation.

These instructions also don’t allow you to “merge” databases from two computers. Pick one to be the master database moving forward and ditch the other one.

One caveat (or bonus?) is that the layout preferences and some settings are not copied from computer to computer. This is a good thing, especially if you have a customized view or preference because of a specific hardware set on one computer.

If you're using iTunes to sync your database in any way, shape, or form, please be advised that I have not tested this method with a rekordbox library that is linked to iTunes - there may be unintended consequences if you do. I'm happy for you to try this and share your results, but consider this your warning in advance. I'll say it again - backup, backup, backup!

Now that you have a backup of your database, we’ve established you know (somewhat) what you’re doing, you understand the risks ... you may begin.

1) Ensure both computers have users with the same username and path to the user’s files. For example:

Windows: C:\Users\<username>

Mac: /Users/<username>

Note that this procedure does NOT work between two different operating systems; both computers must be Windows OR Mac, not one of each.

2) In your cloud folder, create a folder for rekordbox; I chose the simple and obvious rekordboxsync folder in my Dropbox folder.

3) Put your music in a folder in that same cloud system to ensure it will be available for both computers. I placed mine in rekordboxsync/music but yours could simply be in music at the root of the sync folder. If that music is already in rekordbox, before moving to the next step, be sure to do a mass-relocation of your songs.

The alternative here is that you could use an external drive you move between computers (it would need the same mount name (Mac) / drive letter (Windows) on each computer), but the point here is for it to be a cloud-based experience - if you're using an external drive, why not just move the database there and be done with it?

4) Here comes the tricky business. You’ll need to edit the setting file, so be sure to make a copy as a backup before you start. You will need to do this step on both computers, or you can simply copy the settings file to the other machine and do it once, provided the user accounts are identical and the paths are the same. Unfortunately the location of this file can't be shared, it's in a default installation path and the software will look for it in this location by default.

Before you go make any edits, if you’re on a Mac and using TextEdit to do this, you must first go into the TextEdit preferences and uncheck the Use Smart Quotes checkbox, otherwise you will end up with the fancy quote marks, which would ruin the code.

Locate the following line:

<VALUE name="masterDbDirectory"

…and replace the VAL contents with the absolute path to your cloud sync directory. For example, mine is: /Volumes/Macintosh HD/Users/Pulse/Dropbox/rekordboxsync/database - I added the database folder because I also have the music folder within and wanted to keep it separate.

You can also locate this line and modify its VAL to a location common to the two computers:

<VALUE name="SamplerSaveDirectory"

This is the sampler file save location - if you want the samples to be available on both computers, change this for sure. For mine, I used: /Volumes/Macintosh HD/Users/Pulse/Dropbox/rekordboxsync/music

For the VAL of:

<VALUE name="RecordSaveDirectory"

This is the recording save directory - I don’t recommend using a cloud-based folder as the software may try and continuously upload the ever-changing recording file. I set mine simply as /Users/Pulse/Desktop to have the files easily accessible and on the local drive.

You will also notice there is another line with a path:

<VALUE name="pioneerDirectory"

DO NOT modify this line! Doing so will result in rekordbox effectively resetting itself and deleting your database.

5) After you’ve completed the settings edits, it’s time to move the files on the computer you’ve designated as the MASTER.

Open the following folder:

Windows: C:\Users\<yourusername>\

Mac: ~/Users/<yourusername>/Library/Pioneer/rekordbox

...and copy these files to your new cloud folder (as above, mine is in Dropbox/rekordboxsync/database):

datafile.edb

ExtData.edb

PIONEER (folder)

…and any “backup” files can be copied as well. rekordbox automatically creates a backup every time you launch the application, and keeps 3 copies for roll-back purposes.

Leave these files behind:

DEVSETTING.DAT

djprofile.nxs

MYSETTING.DAT

…as well as the Crashes and ExtDriveBackup folders. Moving those files will wipe your settings and you’ll also need to login to your Pioneer DJ account again. You may also run the risk of deactivating your installation.

6) Before you go and open rekordbox to see if it worked, open the parent cloud folder of the database (in my case, the rekordboxsync folder) and make a copy of the database folder. For some weird reason, on more than one occasion when testing these instructions, I experienced an issue where the first time I try and launch rekordbox after making these changes, it will freak out, say it can't find the database, and delete everything in the database folder. If that happens, at least you have a backup (see, it's a running theme with me), simply copy those .edb files back into place in the database folder and it should launch properly.

7) Open rekordbox on the master computer. If all went well, it’s just opened up and your database loaded. Close rekordbox.

8) This is an important step - WAIT. You need to allow your cloud service the time to synchronize all the data you threw at it. Once the sync has completed, go to your other computer and open rekordbox there. You should see the same database open without issue. Change metadata on a song, or add a cue point, then close rekordbox - again, waiting for the sync to complete, then go back to the first computer to see if the changes are present.

It is IMPERATIVE that you do not open the same database in two different rekordbox applications at the same time! You won't kill the database, but you'll make a mess of files since the cloud system will simply realize there are conflicting files and label them as such (Dropbox will actually rename the file with the computer name and time as well).

FAQs

Q) Do I need to have the same licenses on each computer? (eg. dj, dvs, video)

A) No! The database operates independent of the licenses.

Q) Are the MyTags synchronized?

A) Yes!

Q) Are the personalized colours synchronized?

A) Anywhere the colour is used, that colour is synchronized, but the colour labels are not; those are part of the application settings and are independent on each computer.